Britain's Prince Charles is getting involved in a revamp of London's touristy Chinatown district in a bid to make the area more 'authentically Chinese'.
The move by the heir to the throne's architectural foundation is being interpreted by some as an attempt to smooth the prince's uneasy relations with Beijing, ruffled by the likes of his high-profile support for the Dalai Lama and his description of the Chinese leadership at the Hong Kong handover as 'appalling old waxworks'.
The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment announced this month that it was working with local authorities on a refurbishment of Chinatown. The foundation has released few details, but media reports say plans could involve adding traditional touches such as wooden arches, green glazed roof tiles and even plants native to China.
The project is the latest in a string of attempts to refurbish Chinatown, a tiny block sandwiched between Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Soho. The district is a mishmash of architectural styles that have accumulated since Chinese first started moving to the area in the 1970s, when it was seedy, run-down and cheap.
Westminster council, the borough in which it is located, has been trying to give the area a facelift aimed at making it another of the West End's 'must-see' tourist spots.
The foundation would not comment on Prince Charles' relations with Beijing. But it released a statement saying: 'We chose to work at Chinatown because of its educational value in demonstrating how traditional urban design principles can be applied in a diversity of neighbourhoods, towns and cities in a way that will help improve the quality of people's lives.'